


Running Just as Fast as We Can

by KittiePhanatic



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Temporary Character Death, Episode s01e07: The Day That Was, F/M, Gen, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Drug Addiction, Past Drug Use, Protective Allison Hargreeves, Protective Diego Hargreeves, Reginald Hargreeves' A+ Parenting, Sober Klaus Hargreeves, Vanya Hargreeves Needs A Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:07:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25100650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittiePhanatic/pseuds/KittiePhanatic
Summary: After getting Harold Jenkins' police file, Diego first decides to swing by the Academy to get Luther before going to the perp's house.  After walking in on a very disturbing scene, however, Diego realizes that Luther is in no shape for this mission and takes Klaus instead.
Relationships: Allison Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Diego Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Vanya Hargreeves/Leonard Peabody
Comments: 20
Kudos: 285





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yep, another TUA Season One divergence; probably my last one before the second season. My take on what could have happened if Diego intervened while Luther was drunkenly choking Klaus.

"You're welcome." Diego Hargreeves emerged from the police department alleyway and thrust Harold Jenkins' police file into Allison's hands.

Allison stared at the picture for a split second before her eyes bugged out. "Holy shit!" She held it back up for Diego and Number Five to see. "Harold Jenkins  _ is _ Leonard Peabody."

"Who's Leonard Peabody?" Five demanded.

"Shit," Diego sucked in a breath. "Vanya's boyfriend."

"That's right," Allison remembered, looking at Five. "That was just before you came back this morning." She quickly brought him up to speed about Leonard and Vanya interrupting the apocalypse meeting and leaving upset with everyone for not being included. 

"I  _ told _ Vanya about the apocalypse my first night back, but she didn't believe me!" Five snapped as the three siblings got back in the car.

"Well, Five...you  _ have _ been a bit…" Allison trailed off. "I mean, ever since you got back the first time, you really haven't made much sense."

"Oh, really!" Five growled as Diego started the engine. "Because none of you seem to have changed in seventeen years. Diego and Luther going at it during the memorial, Klaus is still an addict, and it's obvious that you and Luther are still pining over each other after all this time."

Allison sighed and quickly got back to the critical subject. "Look, speaking of Luther...well, I actually broke into Leonard's place yesterday, but I couldn't find anything because he came back and I managed to leave before he could catch me. But his place is really close to the Academy, and as Five said we need the entire force of the Umbrella Academy. So we need to swing by there and get Luther and Klaus. We don't know what Leonard's capable of doing. I mean, the police file says he killed his dad when he was thirteen."

"Well, he looked pretty scrawny to me," Diego said as he pulled out onto the street.

"Yeah, but so are many serial killers and masked murderers," Allison said. "I mean, look at him." From the back seat she tapped on Five's shoulder in front of her.

"Thanks," Five said snarkily.

"You're right, though," Diego admitted. "Okay, we'll stop at the mansion and get them."

"Luther, yes," Five agreed. "Klaus, no. Did you not notice how messed up he was during the meeting? And by the way, he was the  _ second _ person I told about the apocalypse, but all he cared about was getting high."

Diego nodded. "I think I know what's going on with him. I think it's withdrawal."

"Diego, what is up with Klaus, anyway?" Allison wondered. "I've noticed since last night that he hasn't been himself."

Diego sighed, not knowing if he should tell them about Klaus' apparent recent loss, since Diego barely knew much himself other than later learning from Luther that Klaus had stolen Hazel and Cha-Cha's briefcase and accidentally time-traveled.

Then Five piped up, "Did you ever find out where Klaus went for ten months?"

"Wait,  _ what? _ " Allison exclaimed.

"Oh, yeah," Diego snapped. "Hazel and Cha-Cha kidnapped Klaus the night they attacked the Academy. They tortured him for twenty-four hours while Luther and I were out looking for Five's drunk ass."

"Is that why they killed your friend?" Allison asked cautiously, not wanting to piss her brother off when he was finally becoming a team player. 

"Yes," Diego grunted. "I don't want to talk about that."

"Wow. I didn't know." Allison then explained how she had spent most of Monday with Vanya after catching Leonard wandering around in the apartment. 

"How could she be so  _ stupid? _ " Five exclaimed. "Does she not see that as a major red flag?"

"Hey." Diego stopped at a red light and turned to sternly face him in the passenger seat. "That's  _ your _ sister."

"Coming from you, I find that surprising," Allison admitted to Diego. 

"Look, I don't think I'm ready to forgive her for writing that book about us," Diego said, "but she's our sister who is in danger and needs our help."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Within a few minutes Diego parked the car outside the mansion. "Wait here," he told the others as he jumped out. As he opened the front door, he could hear Klaus' voice from the living room. "I told you already, all right? I can't!"

"Bullshit," Diego heard Luther growl, followed by grunting and coughing. Diego quickly made his way to the living room and discovered, to his horror, Luther pinning Klaus up to the pillar by the throat.

" _ What the hell, Luther! _ " Diego quickly lunged at Luther and punched him in the face. As Luther stumbled backward he dropped Klaus to the floor. As Klaus coughed and gasped for breath, Diego noticed the liquor bottle on the counter and quickly realized that Luther was drunk. Well, shit.

"He needs to get Dad," Luther drunkenly growled. "For sending me up there." He grabbed the bottle and poured apparently another glass. 

Klaus coughed for another moment before rising to his knees. "Jesus Christ, Luther! Of  _ course _ I tried! God knows I've tried, but he is as he was in life; he's a  _ stubborn prick! _ "

"What's going on with you?!" Diego snapped at Luther. 

Swaying, Luther clumsily pointed to a bunch of unopened courier envelopes. "He never opened my research," Luther grumbled bitterly. "I spent four years up there for nothing."

Diego watched Luther down the glass. "Look, man, I'm sorry, okay? Dad was wrong to lie to you, but that's no reason to strangle our brother! He's been through enough shit already!"

"You were right," Luther growled at Diego. "Dad sent me up to the moon because he couldn't stand the sight of me." He quickly threw the glass across the floor, breaking it.

"Luther---"

Before Diego could continue, Luther tore through the foyer and out the front door.

As Klaus began to stand up, Diego grabbed him by the shoulders. "Easy, bro." He checked out the marks that Luther had left on Klaus' neck, but what also concerned Diego was how badly Klaus was shaking and sweating. "You're going through withdrawals, aren't you?"

Klaus nodded.

_ Shit, _ Diego thought to himself. Klaus was in no condition for this mission, but he also wasn't going to leave Klaus behind in case Luther returned.

"Listen, man, you're coming with us, okay?"

Klaus doubled over and clutched his stomach. "I can't, Diego."

"Look, I'd rather have you with us. I don't want Luther to come back in a drunken rage and kill you. Our priority is getting Harold Jenkins---oh, and by the way, he's Vanya's boyfriend and a convicted murderer. I'll explain in the car."

"Wait," Klaus looked down at his bare feet.

"I'll get your shoes." Diego quickly ran up the stairs and retrieved them from Klaus' bedroom. As Klaus was putting them on, Allison quickly tore through the front door. 

"Guys!" Allison frantically exclaimed, "Five just passed out! He's bleeding from a shrapnel wound that he didn't bother telling any of us about!"

"Shit. Stay here," he said to Klaus as he followed Allison out to the car. Five was lying along the front seat, barely conscious. Diego grabbed Five by the shoulders while Allison took hold of Five's legs, and they carefully carried him inside the mansion and placed him on the couch next to where Klaus had put on his shoes.

"We need to take him to the hospital," Allison said fearfully as Diego kept his hand against Five's wound to prevent him from bleeding out.

"A kid with a shrapnel wound might raise some questions," Five mumbled.

"Yeah, well, so does Harold Jenkins' actions," Allison argued, and then she looked frantically at Diego. "What do we do?"

"We need to get the shrapnel out," Diego said, but before he could continue, he noticed a certain figure sauntering through the foyer. He quickly stood up and raced to her.

"Mom?"

"Yes, hello, Diego dear," Mom beamed at him.

Diego felt a combination of relief and regret. He took her hand and noticed the stitching on her arm where he had cut her three nights ago. "How are you still walking around?"

"One foot in front of the other," Mom smiled, seemingly otherwise unscathed by the events of the past few days. "Why? How do you do it?"

"Mom!" Allison called from the living room, looking partially relieved to see Grace as well. "Thank God you're all right, but Five needs your help!"

Diego kept hold of his mother's hand as he led her into the living room.

"Oh, dear," Mom observed the now-unconscious Five on the couch. "We need to get to the infirmary."

"Come on, Allison," Diego said. "Wait here, Klaus." He and Allison quickly carried Five to the infirmary bed.

It was after Five was deposited that Allison wondered, "Wait. Where's Luther?"

"Oh yeah. You wanna know what I walked in on? Luther drunk off his ass having Klaus in a chokehold against the wall!"

" _ What? _ " Allison exclaimed. "Why?!"

"Luther found out that Dad sent him up to the moon for nothing. And he was apparently drunk and pissed that Klaus couldn't conjure Dad."

"Jesus!" Allison exclaimed. "So, where's Luther now?"

"You didn't see him tear out the front door?"

Allison shook her head. "No! That was probably when Five collapsed in the car. I had my back turned to the house at the time."

"Well, Luther's of no use to us now."

"But what about Klaus?" Allison wondered. "You said he was going through withdrawals. And now Five's unconscious. We're now down three people."

"We can do this, Allison," Diego insisted. 

"I don't know. I think maybe I should go back to my daughter."

Diego looked his sister firmly in the eye. "You can't run away from this. That's what started this whole mess." He took a deep breath before admitting, "Luther was right. I mean, not what he did to Klaus, but that we can't bail from this. And look, Klaus chose to get himself clean. I think I know why, but I don't know a lot about what happened during his time-travel. But if he sticks to it, he'll hopefully be over the worst of it by tonight."

Just then, Diego noticed the prosthetic eyeball sitting on Five's nightstand. Luther had vaguely mentioned Five having found him with the eye when discovering everyone dead. He quickly grabbed it.

"Wait," Allison objected. "Leonard has a fake eye?"

"Don't know, but we're gonna find out." With that Diego led Allison back down the stairs and into the living room, where Klaus was lying on his back with his  _ GOOD BYE _ tattooed hand draped across his eyes.

"Hey." Diego gently shook Klaus. "Come on. We're out of here." He helped his brother up and guided Klaus out the front door.


	2. Chapter 2

Diego parked the car in front of Peabody's home. "Stay in the car," he ordered Klaus in the back seat. At least Diego knew that Klaus would listen this time, unlike yesterday; of course, if Klaus  _ had _ listened then, Diego might not be around now.

Diego thought that Allison was behind him, but when he got to the front porch she was nowhere to be seen.  _ Why can't people stick to the plan? _ He quickly stepped back and jumped through the front door, tripping as he fell right on his stomach.

"Subtle," Allison entered the foyer from the kitchen, where there was a back door. However, she turned the knob of the front. "You know, the door was unlocked."

Diego quickly stood up and brushed the broken glass off of himself. "Yeah, well my way works just fine." He limped toward the kitchen. "Take the upstairs. Yell if, you know, you're in trouble."

Diego observed a flyer attached to the fridge with Vanya's picture and depicting Vanya's inaugural performance as "First Chair," whatever that meant.

"Diego!" Allison called from the attic. "You need to come up here!"

Diego raced up to the attic, where he saw magazine clippings stuck to the wall with all six Academy members with their eyes scratched out, and figurines with their heads burnt off. "That isn't creepy. This guy's got some serious issues."

Allison looked at Diego, horrified. "This was never about Vanya, but about us!"

"Come on," Diego said. "Let's roll. He has no other address listed, but his grandmother has a cabin in Jackpine Cove."

"Wait," Allison said as they made it back downstairs. "I'm gonna try getting a hold of Vanya again." She picked up the phone in the kitchen and punched in Vanya's number. "I got her machine again." Allison hung up and quickly flipped through the phone book for the number of the conservatory where Vanya worked. After a brief conversation, Allison told Diego, horrified, "The receptionist at the music school said that Vanya was a no-show for classes."

"Shit. Well, let's get outta here and head to Jackpine Cove."

"Wait," Allison insisted. "Let me drive, okay?" She observed the sling on Diego's arm. "You shouldn't be driving long distances with that."

"Whatever. Let's roll."

As Allison drove Diego brought Klaus up to speed about their discovery. 

"Wait," Allison said after Diego was done. "Remember that one kid who tried talking to Dad about joining the Academy? When we came back from that one mission? He claimed he was born on the same day as us."

Diego quickly opened the file and skimmed it again. "Shit, you're right. His birthday is October First, 1989."

"Do you think he has superpowers, too?" Klaus mumbled from the back seat.

Diego shrugged. "I hope not. Dad didn't seem to think he did. He was an asshole to the kid."

"Shit," Allison said. "Do we really know what we may be up against?"

"Well, we've gotta be prepared." Diego then turned to Klaus. "Try to get some rest, okay? We've got a long drive ahead of us."

"Okay," Klaus mumbled, leaning back and closing his eyes; Diego could tell that Klaus was out the moment he did.

"I still don't think we should have brought him," Allison said quietly to Diego. 

"I had to," Diego said in an equal tone, not wanting to wake up his brother. "I didn't know if Luther would come back even more drunk than before. He literally had Klaus pinned to the wall with his hands around Klaus' neck."

"Jesus," Allison exclaimed. "That is so not like Luther. It must have devastated him to learn that Dad lied to Luther about his lack of purpose on the moon." Allison then glanced at Klaus through the rearview mirror. "You know, that's the first time I've noticed the tattoo and the dog tags."

Diego turned to face Klaus. He hadn't paid much attention to that, nor the military shirt Klaus now wore over his neon tank top. If Klaus had traveled to a war zone, that would explain how he could have lost someone important to him.

"What happened to him?" Allison asked again. 

Diego wasn't sure how much he should say, not only due to his own lack of much knowledge, and especially the lengths he'd had to go through to even get Klaus to open up to him. "Look, I don't know a whole lot and I need to talk to him about it more if I can. But he was really fucked up yesterday. I was gonna go after Hazel and Cha-Cha, but I knew something wasn't right with Klaus because he was so quiet in the car with me. He had me drop him off at a veterans bar, and I ended up following him in so I could get him to talk. Only then Klaus was staring at a memorial wall, crying like a baby. Then he wound up pissing off a vet who thought Klaus was pretending to be one of them, and the next thing I know I'm plowing through a bunch of vets after Klaus told him off. That's the other thing. I've never seen Klaus that upset since we were kids."

"Jesus," Allison said quietly. 

"Hey, let's change the subject, in case he wakes up. Okay?"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

By the time the sun had set, they were about an hour out from their destination. Klaus never awoke, so Diego hoped that Klaus would feel better.

Another forty-five minutes and it suddenly began to rain. "What the hell?" Allison exclaimed. Rain wasn't forecasted anywhere in the state.

By the time they arrived at the cabin it was after midnight. Allison slowly pulled up the driveway, but there was no other vehicle present.

"Hey, Klaus." Diego reached over the seat and gently shook Klaus. "We're here. How're you feeling?"

Klaus stretched and rubbed his eyes. "I'm good, I think."

"You up to coming with us?" Diego asked.

Klaus nodded. "Yeah, I think so." He slowly opened the car door and stepped out.

The trio made it to the porch and peeked through the window. "There's Vanya's violin," Allison pointed out. 

"Yeah, and it's after midnight," Diego added.

Allison nodded. "Where would they be?"

"Let's get back in the car," Diego said. "Let's hide out and wait for them to come back."

As Allison re-parked the car out of sight, the three sat and waited. Of course, within a few minutes Klaus fell back asleep. Diego figured that this was the first time in a while that his brother had gotten a good amount of sleep, and he hoped that as Klaus got more sober, maybe he could use his power for the first time since they were kids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: since the siblings left the mansion earlier in the day, Diego was able to avoid getting arrested.


	3. Chapter 3

Five groggily opened his eyes the next morning. The first thing he noticed was that the eye was no longer on the nightstand. "Shit!"

He quickly jumped out of bed, wincing at the pain from where he had gotten stitched up, and still feeling weak. He  _ had _ to get himself together; who knew what in the hell was going on or where anyone was. Were Luther and the others able to kill Harold Jenkins and stop the apocalypse?!

Five ran from his top-story bedroom down the stairs to the hallway where his other siblings' rooms were. Diego's, Klaus' and Allison's bedroom's were all empty, but Luther's door was shut. Shit. Five hoped Luther's obsession with the moon didn't prevent him from joining the others. 

Five quickly rapped on Luther's door and opened it. "Get up," he ordered Luther before stopping dead in his tracks.

Luther was in bed, surrounded by several wine glasses and bottles. But he wasn't alone as there was an unknown woman lying next to him.

Luther slowly opened his eyes. He squinted at Five's form before slowly turning his head to the woman.

"What the hell?!" Five yelled as Luther tried to gather his bearings. "You got  _ drunk _ last night while we're trying to stop an apocalypse?!"

The woman opened her eyes to face Luther.

"Get up!" Five ordered to Luther. "We have to find the others!"

"Leave me alone," Luther grumbled.

"I don't have time to argue. Get  _ up! _ " Five angrily repeated as he stormed out the door. Five needed coffee. A  _ lot _ of coffee.

He went down to the lounge where he had stashed a bag of coffee that he had stolen from a grocery store his second day back. Within a few minutes he practically inhaled his first two cups. Much better.

Within a few minutes a grumpy Luther joined him.

"So, what happened?" Five demanded. "How come you got drunk and didn't go with the others?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Well, now we don't know where anyone is!" Five exclaimed. "And who took my glass eye?"

"I thought you said that was a dead end," Luther said groggily. 

"Not if Harold Jenkins has a fake eye!" Five yelled. "But we don't know that because I never found out his address!"

"Wait. Why are  _ you _ still here?"

"I got shot at the Commission. I didn't say anything because we were so close to getting this guy. I need to blink back to the police station and steal another copy of the police report."

"So, who the hell is this guy, anyway?" Luther suddenly showed a little more interest.

"It turns out that it's Vanya's boyfriend, who uses an alias. I'm pretty sure that Diego, Allison and Klaus went after him."

"Look, Five," Luther moaned bitterly. "I'm done with Dad. With this family."

"What kind of poppycock is that?" Five exclaimed. 

"He sent me to the moon for nothing. He never even opened any of my research. Pogo said it was to give me purpose...by Shanghaiing me to the moon for four years?"

"So?" Five retorted. "Remember what I said yesterday? You need to get your sideshow act together and get over yourself."

"I'm done," Luther repeated.

"Fine. You want to feel sorry for yourself, go right ahead. I'm gonna go find the others."

"Excuse me."

Luther and Five turned to face Luther's overnight guest standing in the doorway.

"Uh, yes?" Luther said awkwardly. 

"Well, I was just leaving," the woman said, "but there's cops outside. They are looking for Diego."

"Shit," Luther grumbled. "I don't want to deal with them."

"Well, you  _ have _ to," Five insisted. "Because they're not going to talk to a thirteen-year-old boy, nor to a talking chimpanzee or a robot."

So Luther begrudgingly headed to the front door. As the lady left, Luther grumpily told police that Diego wasn't present and he had no idea where he was, and to come back with a warrant if they wanted to search the place.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As Klaus slept through the night, Diego and Allison remained vigilant, but Leonard and Vanya still hadn't returned by daybreak. So Diego awakened Klaus and took his turn at the wheel, his arm having healed somewhat from the bullet that had grazed his arm two days before. 

However, within a few minutes they hit bumper-to-bumper traffic. "What the hell?" Diego snapped.

As traffic gradually inched forward, the siblings eventually discovered the cause, as they approached a restaurant with its parking lot closed off by police tape, and the presence of multiple police officers converged within. 

Suddenly Allison perked up. "That's Vanya's scarf!" She pointed to a black-and-white knitted scarf draped over the restaurant sign. She quickly unbuckled her seat belt.

"Wait!" Diego thrust his hand on hers. "Let me handle this. Remember, I can act like a cop, and these small-town officers wouldn't know the difference." He removed the arm sling and knife harness, and he reapplied his dark denim jacket. Then he exited the vehicle and approached the lead sergeant.

"Excuse me, sir, you can't be here!" The redheaded cop exclaimed. 

Diego pulled his fake badge from his jacket. "Detective Perez from the City. I'm helping a family track down their missing sister, and I think she might have been here."

"My apologies, Detective." The sergeant, whose badge read Chedder, shook his hand. "All we know is, there was some sort of fight here. Two men were killed, and one is in the hospital. Someone else was hospitalized, but the nurse just informed me that he left against medical advice earlier this morning."

Just then a voice came through on Chedder's radio. "Sergeant Chedder, we've just been informed that the remaining vic just regained consciousness.

As Klaus watched from the back seat, he observed two bloodied men lurking around. "Uh, Allison? Do you see those two guys with blood all over them standing near that cop?"

Confused, Allison stared blankly. "Uh, no, I don't." Allison looked bewildered at Klaus.

Just then Diego jumped back in the car and started the engine. "Okay, we're going to the hospital. The cop bought my story of being a City detective." He relayed to Allison and Klaus what he had been told. "So you guys'll have to wait here in the car while we talk to the victim."

"Klaus, tell Diego what you just told me," Allison said. 

So Klaus told Diego about having likely seen the ghosts of the attack victims, and how the last time he had been sober was the roaring good time when those freaks had him tied up in the motel room and he had conjured the ghosts of their victims. And then, he confessed to having been able to talk to Ben since the latter died.

Klaus' siblings were shocked, but they believed him. For the first time since they were kids, he was finally being taken seriously. 


	4. Chapter 4

Diego left Allison and Klaus in the car as he entered the hospital. He met up with Chedder, who interviewed Luntz. The man explained how the guy had paid him and his buddies good money to rough the guy up, but they had made the mistake of harassing the girlfriend and "all hell broke loose."

"Is this the girlfriend?" Diego pulled out of the police file a jacket cover of Vanya's book which Allison must have inserted at some point.

Before Luntz could answer, they were interrupted by the nurse who had to take Luntz for more testing. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"So, Ben is here? Right now?" Allison asked Klaus in the car.

Klaus looked at the figure sitting next to him and smiled. "Yep."

"And you've always been able to see him? Even though you were high?"

Beaming, Klaus nodded again.

"Uh, hey, Ben," Allison spoke awkwardly to the blank space next to Klaus. "I've missed you so much."

"It's about time you told them about me," Ben said to Klaus.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Allison chuckled, figuring that Ben must have given Klaus a hard time for not revealing Ben to them before. She couldn't have imagined how hard it probably was for Ben to watch Klaus throw away his life over the years. She hoped that Klaus would stay on this path of sobriety.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Excuse me," the nurse approached Diego and Sergeant Chedder. "But have either of you seen Mr. Luntz?"

Diego and Chedder exchanged glances. "No," they said simultaneously.

"Well, I took him to testing, and then he just disappeared," the nurse said frantically. 

"Okay, I'll put an APB out on him." With that, Chedder scurried away. 

"Wait," Diego told the nurse, again pulling out the cover. "Did you see this woman?"

The nurse observed Vanya's picture. "Yes, she left with Mr. Peabody this morning."

Diego rushed out to the car and told his siblings that they had to get back to the cabin immediately. 


	5. Chapter 5

As they pulled up to the cabin there still was no vehicle present. As they walked onto the porch, all three siblings could hear her violin and were confused by the whirlwind surrounding the cabin. The three burst through the door. Shocked, Vanya stopped playing, and so did the whirlwind cease.

"Vanya, are you okay?" Allison exclaimed. 

"What are all of you doing here?" Vanya demanded.

"We were worried about you," Allison said, "but something strange is going on. What's causing this?"

After a beat, Vanya replied, "Me. Turns out I've had this power all along."

"Holy shit," Klaus' eyes widened. 

"That's amazing," Allison said uneasily. 

"But…?" Vanya eyed her siblings suspiciously.

"Look, Vanya," Diego said cautiously. "We got some information that we need to tell you."

"What?" Vanya's eyes narrowed. 

Allison exchanged a nervous glance with Diego. "You're not going to want to hear it."

"Well, that's never stopped you before," Vanya said coldly to her.

"Vanya," Allison continued, "Leonard Peabody, his real name is Harold Jenkins. He served twelve years in prison for murdering his father."

"What?" Vanya said, confused. "No, his dad was an engineer---"

"We have his police file out in the car, but you need to come with us now," Allison said with urgency.

"It's not safe here, Vanya," Diego added.

"And what do you care?" Vanya glared at Diego. "Last time you spoke to me, you said I was a liability."

Diego sighed. "Look, I'm sorry."

Vanya helplessly sat down in the chair. Allison knelt down in front of her. "Vanya, you're my sister and I will help you through this. But we need to leave now."

Vanya sighed, a blank look on her face. "But I don't understand. I love Leonard. And this power...I just can't wrap my head around it."

Allison suddenly appeared to have a thought and leaned back. "It all makes sense now." She turned to face her brothers with dread.

"What're you talking about?" Diego wondered.

Allison turned back to Vanya. "We were four. Dad said you were sick and needed to be quarantined. He brought me to where you were isolated. And then he had me do something that I never understood." Allison took a deep breath before continuing. "He told me to rumor you into thinking you were ordinary."

"Holy shit," Klaus muttered.

"He made me an accomplice," Allison said sadly, after which she looked down to the floor.

Vanya stared at Allison. " _You_ did this to me?"

"Vanya, I didn't know until we came here tonight and I saw it for myself!"

Vanya shot up in her seat. "That's why you did it! You couldn't risk me taking your place in the house!"

Diego was speechless, still trying to grasp the idea that this had all gone down, and that Vanya had powers.

"No, that's not it!" Allison pleaded.

"You couldn't live with the idea that I might be special!" Vanya yelled.

"You _are_ special, Vanya!" Allison exclaimed. "With or without powers!"

" _STOP! SAYING! THAT!!!_ "

"Vanya, everything's out in the open!" Allison cried. "We can move on!"

"I'm moving on! But not with you! With Leonard!"

"You mean Harold!"

"Leonard!" Vanya screeched back. "The only person who has _ever_ loved me for _me!_ "

With that, the whirlwind picked back up as the lights and other hanging objects began swaying. Allison, Diego and Klaus scanned the room nervously.

Vanya stared coldly at Allison. "Look me in the eye and tell me you're not afraid now."

_Shit,_ Klaus thought to himself as he observed Vanya. _This was the same sister who always cried whenever we stepped on ants as kids!_

"I don't want to argue with you," Allison said uneasily. 

"THEN GO!!!"

Diego quickly placed his hand on Allison's arm and slowly pulled her back a step. "Hey. Vanya. None of us knew this."

"Vanya, I love you!" Allison cried.

" _I SAID GO!!!!_ "

"Jesus," Diego kept his hand on Allison, as Klaus nervously stood on Diego's other side. A couple of light bulbs shattered, and Vanya was now foaming at the mouth. This was really not good. 

"Don't make me do this," Allison's eyes filled with tears as Vanya hyperventilated.

_Shit, she's going to do it!_ Klaus thought to himself.

"I heard a rumor---"

In that moment Klaus lunged forward, just as Vanya flicked her violin bow sending Klaus flying toward the wall. The siblings shuddered as they heard the crack and watched in horror as their brother fell lifelessly onto the floor.


	6. Chapter 6

" _KLAUS!_ " Diego cried as he and Allison rushed to him while Vanya dropped to her knees, wailing hysterically.

" _Oh my--- oh my God!!! KLAUS!!! I didn't mean to!!! I didn't mean to!"_

" _Shit! There's no pulse!_ " Diego screamed in horror as he and Allison began administering CPR.

" _I'm sorry! I'M SORRY!_ "

Just then the front door burst open. "Vanya! What---" Leonard quickly stopped, observing the scene.

Vanya looked at Leonard and screamed, " _I didn't mean to!!!_ "

" _Klaus, don't die on me!!!_ " Diego cried as he pressed down on Klaus' chest.

Leonard looked at Vanya as a sinister smile crossed his face. "You did what you had to do."

" _No!!! No!!!_ " Vanya screamed as Diego and Allison continued CPR on their brother.

"Come on, Vanya! We have to go _now!!!_ " Leonard quickly grabbed Vanya's violin, bow, case, and his bookbag.

Suddenly Klaus sprang upright. "I can't go back!!! No! No! Wait!"

Diego quickly flung his arms around his brother. "Thank Christ!" He couldn't stop the tears as he held his brother tightly.

"Klaus!" Vanya wailed even harder, this time out of relief. "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Diego continued to embrace Klaus as Allison ran to Vanya. Vanya opened her arms and the two sisters also tearfully held onto each other as well.

Leonard uneasily observed the entire scene as he replaced the violin and its accessories while keeping hold of the bookbag. "Well, at least he's all right."

Vanya let go of Allison and turned to face Leonard. "I can't do this," she said in a still shaky but calmer voice. "I almost killed my brother. I _did_ kill him, actually."

Diego then let go of Klaus and stood to face Leonard. That was when he noticed something important. "So, what's with the eye patch?"

Meanwhile, Klaus stood himself up as Vanya ran to him. "I'm so sorry!"

Klaus quickly pulled Vanya into an embrace. "I know you are," Klaus said gently, stroking her dark hair. "It's okay. I love you. We all love you. We want to help you."

"I don't think that's any of your business," Leonard meanwhile sneered at Diego.

"How long have _you_ known about her power?" Allison asked Leonard suspiciously.

Leonard chuckled. "We just figured it out! Same as you."

Then what's with the Academy murder shrine in your attic?" She wondered.

Vanya pulled away from Klaus, although he still kept somewhat of a protective grip on her. "What is she talking about, Leonard?"

"When we were thirteen," Allison glared at Leonard. "You tried to become one of us. Our dad turned you away. Then you killed your dad and went to prison."

Leonard burst out laughing. "You're really going to believe them? Look at how they've treated you!"

Diego quickly lunged toward Leonard and threw him against the wall, causing the bookbag to fall to the floor and the contents to spill out...which included a particular red hardcover book with the initials "RH" stamped in gold.

"What…?" Vanya stepped forward and picked it up. She quickly opened it to an earmarked page.

"What is that?" Allison wondered.

Meanwhile, Klaus looked at it with dread, realizing his unintended part in it. "Oh, shit," he muttered under his breath.

Vanya paid little attention, as she now was reading the page entitled, "Number Seven," describing how her powers were out of control and how she needed medication to keep her sedated; and yes, his misuse of #00.03 in the process. She then eyed Leonard, absolutely shocked. "You've been manipulating me this whole time?"

Allison carefully took the journal and scanned the page itself.

"No, I've _embraced_ you this whole time! Your brothers and sister had no idea how special you really are, and now they're afraid of you!"

"Bullshit!" Diego grabbed Leonard by the collar and slammed him into the wall again. "Quit lying to our sister!"

" _How_ did you get this?" Vanya glared at the man she thought she had known.

Leonard laughed cynically. "Oh, you can thank your junkie brother for tossing it in the dumpster."

The others turned to Klaus, who hung his head. "It's true. The day of the funeral I tossed it out of a box I pawned for drug money." He looked at Vanya with tears brimming in his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, Klaus," Vanya said while keeping her cold glare upon Leonard.

"She's right," Diego stood by her. "It's not anyone's fault but her boyfriend."

Suddenly Klaus' eyes lightened up. "Uh, Helen Cho. Does that name ring a bell?"

Vanya stared at Klaus. "She was our First Chair. She went missing so I auditioned for the part. Why?"

"Oh, well, because I've been clean for almost two days now, my power is working again."

Vanya's eyes widened in horror. "She's dead?"

"Yeah. Her ghost is here now. It seems that your boyfriend helped you get the seat."

"Oh, my God," Vanya looked mournfully at Leonard. "You're sick."

Leonard quickly grabbed the journal from Allison before she had time to react. "I knew it. You're ordinary."

"Stop it!" Vanya exclaimed as Leonard began slapping the journal cover. 

Diego quickly grabbed a knife but Vanya instantly stepped in front of him.

"You're _nothing!_ " Leonard continued taunting her. "You're _weak!_ "

And that was when Vanya's power lifted Harold off the ground. 

"No, not me, Vanya! Please, not me!"

Diego and Allison stepped back next to Klaus as the three watched a tornado of knives and other sharp objects pierced his chest. As a finishing touch she flung him dead across the room.

Then she dropped to her knees, her shoulders heaving with sobs, as Diego, Allison and Klaus all sat with her and the four siblings all embraced one another. 


	7. Chapter 7

After spending several minutes huddled with his siblings on the floor of the Jenkins cabin, Diego quickly broke away and stood up. "Okay. We need to hide the body and get rid of the car."

With tears on her face, Vanya lifted her head from Allison's shoulder and looked at whom she had thought was her lover who was now lifelessly lying on the floor with about fifteen sharp objects lodged in his chest.

Still holding onto her sister, Allison looked up at Diego. "Okay. What do we do?"

Diego walked to the doorway and observed the two vehicles parked outside. "We've gotta get rid of the car, too." He looked at Allison. "I'll drive Peabody's SUV and stash the body in the trunk. You follow me in Dad's car." He then walked over to Vanya, sitting in a daze between Allison and Klaus, and knelt down before her. "How are you doing, Sis?"

Vanya's tearful gaze met Diego's. "You---you still see me as your sister?"

Diego gently laid his large gloved hand on Vanya's quivering shoulder. "Of course I do, Vanya."

"You don't hate me?" Vanya asked cautiously with wavering voice.

Diego looked his sister straight in the eye. "Of course I don't. We're family." Diego looked at Allison and Klaus, both of whom nodded in agreement. "Listen. I'm sorry for how I treated you after the Academy got attacked."

Vanya paused, shocked that she had just witnessed the sibling angriest with her actually apologize to her. "I---I'm sorry, too. For everything."

"We'll all talk later." Diego gave Vanya's shoulder a pat before standing back up. "We gotta get rid of Peabody and get back home." He watched Klaus help Vanya stand up. "How're you doing, man?" Diego placed his hand on the back of Klaus' head.

"I'm fine. Really." Klaus pat his brother on the arm.

Diego looked hesitantly at his brother. "Okay. Can you clean up the place while we're gone? Then we'll come back and get you guys and go home."

Klaus nodded. "So, we got the guy responsible for the apocalypse, right?"

Vanya blinked. "What?" She let Klaus help her to the couch.

"Oh, yeah." Diego pulled out the glass eye from his pocket.

"Oh, yeah, the fake eye!" Klaus exclaimed.

Diego knelt down next to Leonard's corpse and held up the glass eye next to the lone real one. "They're an exact match."

"What're you…?" Vanya trailed off, confused.

Diego then grabbed Leonard by the shoulders. "Allison."

Allison immediately joined Diego and grabbed Leonard's ankles. Vanya and Klaus watched from the doorway as Diego and Allison carried Leonard down the porch stairs and tossed the body in the trunk of Leonard's SUV.

"Hey, guys!" Klaus suddenly called out. "Um, there's a ghost here in a hospital gown who says that his body is underneath the porch. Leonard killed him."

Diego and Allison quickly found the missing attack victim wrapped in cellophane and added the body to Leonard's. Klaus and Vanya watched as Diego drove away in the SUV and Allison followed.

"So, what was all that stuff about an apocalypse?" Vanya asked Klaus, confused.

"Oh, yeah, that was the pow-wow that you walked in on the other day. I don't know why Luther didn't call you."

"It wouldn't have mattered," Vanya said sadly. "I wasn't home. I had spent the night…" she trailed off, tears running down her face. She looked at her shaking hands. "This power. It's terrifying! How could Dad do this to me?"

"Well, you're not the only one Dad lied to. Luther found out that Sir Reggie sent him up to the moon for no reason."

"Why isn't he here?" Vanya wondered. "And Five, where is he?"

Klaus explained Luther's drunken behavior and Five's injury. Vanya was in too much shock to say anything else. Klaus sat down next to her on the couch and took her in his arms.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

An hour later Diego and Allison returned. After disposing the bodies and vehicle, they had gone to the Sheriff's Office and then the hospital, so that Allison could respectively rumor the cop and the nurse to forget they had interacted with Diego. Allison also had to rumor the cop into forgetting her as well since the officer had enthusiastically recognized her.

The four siblings got in the car and not long after Diego drove away from the property, Klaus and Vanya fell asleep in each other's arms in the back seat.

"You know," Allison said quietly. "Pogo must have known about this, too. We need to prepare Vanya to not take her anger out on him when we get back."

Diego nodded. "Well, Klaus must've told her about Luther. And like you said, he made you an accomplice. But yeah, she's unstable. And she just found out that her asshole boyfriend lied to her."

"I'm going to read this." Allison held the journal in her lap. "I mean, what else could Dad have done to us without us knowing? Maybe it will help Vanya not to take this so personally."

Diego nodded. After all that had just happened, Diego wasn't up to talking, anyway.

After a few minutes, however, Allison whispered, "Jesus!"

"What?" Diego quietly asked, so to not awaken Klaus and Vanya.

Allison looked horrified at Diego. "Did you know that Dad locked Klaus in a mausoleum when we were eight?"

Diego took a beat to process that information. "Come again?"

"Listen to this. May thirteenth, 1998. Today I began a special training in an attempt to rid Number Four of his fear of the non-living by locking him in the mausoleum. After four hours I inspected his progress. He attempted to deceive me by claiming he had gotten over his fears, but I saw through his weakness. As punishment for such deception I locked him in for another three hours. He must be the master of his own life, or life will be his master instead."

"Jesus," Diego continued to keep his tone down. "No. I never knew." Diego looked through the rearview mirror at his brother resting peacefully. "What the hell?"

Allison quickly flipped through the pages. "Here's another entry just a few days later. He kept Klaus in there for eight hours that time."

"Shit." Diego was still trying to wrap his head around how cruel their father---rather, Sir Reginald---could be.

After a few minutes Allison spoke up again. "Here's an entry from when we were eleven: I sped up that ability by locking him in the mausoleum overnight.

"Jesus!" Diego didn't watch his tone that time.

"Huh?" Vanya mumbled.

"Everything's okay, Vanya," Allison said. "Just go back to sleep."

Vanya lay her head back on Klaus' chest and closed her eyes.

Allison stayed quiet for a few minutes and then said, "Dad quit doing this when we were thirteen, because that was when Klaus started to get high.

That was when a memory flashed in Diego's head. "Listen, Allison. I don't wanna hear anymore. You should get some sleep. We've been up for at least thirty-six hours."

"Are you sure you'll be okay to drive?"

"Yeah."

So the others slept while Diego drove quietly. However, there was another reason why Diego didn't want Allison to read it. Because tonight had actually been the second time that he'd had to perform CPR on his brother.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

_They were fifteen. Vanya was at her violin lesson and Allison was helping Ben with his training. Diego had been in the courtyard sparring with Luther (who of course won) and decided to take a bath to clean himself up. The bathroom door was closed, but Diego heard no activity so he knocked on the door. After no response Diego opened it._

_He quickly observed the set of feet with painted toenails sticking up in one end. Klaus' head was meanwhile submerged underwater._

" _Klaus?" Diego ran to him and pulled him out of the water. Klaus' eyes were closed and he was unresponsive. Frantically, Diego pushed Klaus' chest and gave mouth-to-mouth._

_"Mom!" He cried out. "Where are you?! I need your help!"_

_However, within the next moment Klaus was coughing and spitting out water._

_"That's it," Diego turned Klaus over. "Let it all out."_

_"Number Two?" Sir Reginald bellowed from the doorway. "Number Four? What in God's name is going on here?!"_

_After coughing a couple more times, Klaus muttered groggily, "What is going on?"_

_Mom came up behind Sir Reginald and observed the scene. "Oh, dear. Did Klaus fall asleep in the bathtub?"_

_Klaus was obviously high. "I don't remember."_

_Diego carried Klaus and followed Mom to the infirmary. Mom checked Klaus over and confirmed that he was okay...just high._

_"It serves you right pumping your body full of poison," was all that Sir Reginald had to say._

_And that was why Klaus always left the bathroom door open from then on._

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Halfway to home Diego pulled into a gas station to refuel the car and let Allison drive. He also used the stop as what was going to be the best opportunity to talk to Vanya.

"Look," Diego turned to face Vanya from the front seat. "Before we get back to the Academy, you should be prepared that Pogo knew about all of this."

"Shit. I never thought about that." Vanya covered her face as rain started to fall outside.

Klaus pulled her close to him. "I know. I don't understand any of this, either."

Vanya wiped her eyes, and the rain stopped.

"Do you know that Dad lied to Luther, too?" Allison inquired.

Vanya nodded. "Yeah, Klaus told me."

"Listen, I read some of the journal," Allison said. "We had no idea how cruel Dad really was."

"How?" Vanya asked, bewildered.

Diego eyed Klaus. "I think you know." Klaus dropped his gaze at that point.

"What?" Vanya asked again.

"I don't want to discuss it," Klaus said quietly.

"What?" Vanya repeated, frustrated.

"You wanna know how much of a sick asshole he was?" Diego exploded. "Klaus' training. Our adopted father trained him by repeatedly locking him in a mausoleum as young as when we were eight."

Vanya took a second to process that information. "Jesus, Klaus."

"I said I didn't want to discuss this."

"Klaus, after we get back home, you and I are going to talk about a few things." Then Diego turned back to Vanya. "You see that you're not the only one he hurt."

"Well, there's yet another thing he lied about." Klaus took interest in the conversation. "I didn't bring it up yet 'cause I wasn't sure how Vanya would take it. But while in the afterlife, I wound up having a conversation with Dear Old Daddy himself."

"What?!" Diego and Allison exclaimed simultaneously.

"Yeah, and he's still the same hardass as he was in life. He spent about ten minutes lecturing me about my failures in life...oh, and when I brought up the unopened moon samples, his response was that he should have burned them all. Oh, and I'm still his greatest disappointment, but he did say I barely scratched the surface of my true potential. But his biggest takeaway was his murder or lack thereof."

"What?" Allison's eyes widened.

"You were right, Diego; and Luther was right to be suspicious," Klaus went on, "but he wasn't murdered, nor was the cause of death natural."

"What are you saying, Klaus?" Vanya asked, horrified.

"He knew about the apocalypse. But wait, there's more! He killed himself in order to get the whole family back together again."

The others stared at him, stunned.


	8. Chapter 8

It was barely dawn by the time the siblings reached the Academy. 

"Luther? Five?" Allison called from the foyer.

Five immediately appeared. "About time! Did you stop the apocalypse?"

Vanya nodded and sadly dropped her gaze. "I killed him."

"And he was missing an eye?"

Diego quietly handed Five the glass eye. "Yeah, as of last night."

"I knew I wasn't the right person to stop this," Luther said bitterly as he came down the stairs.

"Not this again, Luther," Diego snapped.

"So, how did it happen, then?" Five asked enthusiastically. "You said  _ you _ killed Jenkins, Vanya?"

"I can't…" Vanya shook her head and ran to the stairs. "I can't deal with this right now."

"Vanya," Allison ran up the stairs after her.

"So, are you going to tell us what happened?" Five demanded impatiently. 

"Later, Five," Diego said. "A lot of shit went down, and Allison and I have barely slept in two days. Plus, right now I need to have Mom check out Klaus. He had an accident. I'll explain later."

"Oh, come on, Diego! I'm fiiiiiiiine!" Klaus whined.

"Don't argue."

Mom checked Klaus over and cleared him of any head injuries. He led Klaus to his bedroom, but instead of leaving, he shut the door and sat with Klaus on the bed.

"Diego, I really don't want to talk about the mausoleum," Klaus sighed. "He did what he did and I'm still his greatest disappointment. End of story."

"We're not. But I do want to ask about something else."

"What?" Klaus sighed.

"The time travel. The person you lost. What happened during those ten months?"

Klaus kept his gaze on the floor as tears filled his eyes. 

"Come on. Talk to me, Klaus."

"I don't want to."

Diego wearily sighed. "Klaus. Please. Look, do you have any idea how much you scared the shit out of me the other day?"

"Oh, really?" Klaus retorted. "How about you looking me straight in the eye and saying, 'If I don't come out in two minutes, I'm probably dead.' That and you calling me an idiot after I saved your life. Oh, and you know how you said I looked like shit when you first saw me? You should've seen me before my bath, when I had my lover's blood on my hands!"

Diego's face fell. "I'm sorry about all that. I guess I haven't been the best brother to you."

Klaus shook his head. "No, you have been. At least you showed that you care about me. The others didn't give a shit about me before I got clean."

Diego gently placed a hand on Klaus' shoulder. "Then talk to me."

Klaus took a deep breath, and then he told Diego all about Dave. How he was the kindest and gentlest person Klaus had ever encountered. He happily detailed their relationship, and then tears welled up in his eyes as he talked of their last day on the front lines.

"I tried to save him! I screamed over and over for a medic. I pleaded with him to hang on. But he couldn't! I couldn't save him. So he---" Klaus paused as he blinked his eyes and the tears rolled down. "He died in my arms, Diego! I couldn't save him!"

With that, the floodgates opened and Diego quickly embraced Klaus, leaning against the headboard as Klaus soaked Diego's chest with tears. "I'm sorry, man. I'm truly sorry."

Within a few minutes the crying gradually ceased, and Klaus was motionless.  _ So much for sleeping in my own bed tonight,  _ Diego thought. But he was fine with that. He leaned back his head and closed his eyes.


	9. Chapter 9

Five let his brothers and sisters sleep until noon before he could no longer stand it and barged in Diego's room. "Okay, guys. What happened to Jenkins?'

"Jesus, Five!"

"What the fuck!" Klaus complained simultaneously.

"Get the others and meet me in the living room." Five left the room to rap on Luther's door. "Come on. We're having a family meeting downstairs."

"Not interested," Luther grunted. 

Klaus sat up and stretched. "He's still pissed about the moon? Wait until he hears all the other stuff."

"I think it's best that you don't sit near him," Diego said. 

Hand in hand Vanya and Allison followed Diego and Klaus down the stairs. Everyone converged in the living room with the exception of Luther.

"Goddamnit Luther!" Five quickly zapped to Luther's room. "Come  _ on, _ Luther!"

Meanwhile, Diego headed to Pogo's room and knocked on the door.

"Yes, dear boy?" Pogo greeted Diego after opening his door.

"We're having a family meeting and we need you to join."

"Yes, Master Diego, but may I first inquire as to the content of this meeting?"

"It looks like you have a lot of explaining to do to Vanya. And all of us."

Pogo sighed. "You are correct. Indeed I do."

By the time Diego rejoined the group with Pogo, Five had forcibly teleported Luther along with him.

"Can we get this started, please?" Luther grumbled. 

Vanya faced Pogo. "Did you know about my power?"

" _ What? _ " Luther and Five said simultaneously.

Pogo dropped his gaze. "Yes, Miss Vanya. I knew."

With that the house shook. "What the hell?" Luther exclaimed. 

Sitting next to Vanya, Klaus wrapped his arms around her.

"Careful, Klaus," Diego said uneasily. But Vanya's breathing eventually slowed back down and the shaking stopped. 

"You have powers?" Luther stared dumbfounded at Vanya. "And you knew about this, too?" He glared at Pogo.

"Yes, children. Your father believed that Miss Vanya's powers were just too great." Pogo turned to Vanya. "He was only trying to protect you from yourself, as well as your siblings."

Vanya nodded sadly. "I get that. I read about being four and my powers killing the nannies. And that's why Dad built Mom."

"That is correct, Miss Vanya. But now that you are a grown woman, you should be able to be properly trained to use your powers wisely."

"I hate this power!" Vanya cried. "I not only killed Leonard, but nearly killed Klaus, and I killed two people the other night." Then the thought occurred to her. "He set that whole thing up."

Klaus kept his arm around Vanya while Diego looked solemnly at her. "Yeah. He did."

"Jesus, he really was sick," Vanya said mournfully. 

"Wait," Five piped up. "How would he have known about any of this?"

Vanya pulled the journal out of the bookbag sitting beside her. "He somehow got hold of this. He was manipulating me the whole time."

"I wonder how he got that," Pogo looked suspiciously at Klaus, who faced the floor.

"You were right. I pawned that box for drug money and tossed everything in the dumpster."

"So, you were not forthcoming when I inquired about the box," Pogo glared at Klaus.

"Oh, you want to talk about lying? How about you lying to us about Dad's death!" Klaus yelled.

"What about his death?" Luther wondered.

"I conjured Dad last night."

Luther stared in disbelief. "I thought you said you haven't been able to conjure anyone in years."

"Yes, but I'm clean now! Ta-da!"

"What did the old man have to say?" Five also appeared to be disbelieving. 

"Well, he's still the same hardass he was in life, but he enlightened me on his murder or lack thereof."

"What are you talking about?" Luther snapped impatiently.

"He...killed himself," Klaus said dramatically. 

"I don't have time for your games, Klaus," Luther said angrily. 

"Master Klaus is correct."

Luther stared blankly at Pogo.

Pogo sighed. "Regretfully I helped him enact his plan. So did Grace. It was more difficult than you could possibly know. Prior to your father's death Grace's programming was altered so that she was incapable of administering First Aid on that fateful night."

"So the security tape we saw?" Allison wondered. 

Pogo nodded. "It was meant to further the murder mystery. Your father hoped that being back here solving it together would reignite your desire to be a team."

"To what end?" Luther asked cynically. 

"To save the world, of course."

"First the moon mission and now this," Luther glared at Pogo. "You watched me search for answers and said nothing! Anything else you want to tell me? Any more damn secrets?!"

"It was your father's dying wish," Pogo said sadly. "I had no choice."

Luther gritted his teeth. "There's always choice. I'm done with this meeting." With that he shot up and sprinted through the foyer.

"Luther, wait!" Allison chased him out the front door.

"Allison, leave me alone."

"No. Please." Allison grabbed his arm. "Please don't shut me out anymore."

"Allison, I screwed up." Tears welled up in his eyes.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The other siblings sat in shock as Pogo said, "Children, I beg of you all to forgive me. I greatly regretted doing any of these tasks. But I was indebted to your father for making me what I am today."

Vanya nodded. "I want to. It's just going to take time."

"I understand, Miss Vanya. I'll leave you be. But first I must let you know that your orchestra conductor telephoned the house this morning as he was unable to reach you at your home."

"Shit," Vanya whispered. "The concert. I can't play in that."

"I'm afraid the message was that you were replaced due to your absence at yesterday's rehearsal," Pogo said.

Vanya nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. "I didn't deserve it anyway."

They were interrupted when Allison stormed through the front door with Luther on his tail.

"Allison! I can explain!" Luther pleaded.

"Just leave me alone, Luther!" Allison tore up the stairs.

"What was that about?" Vanya wondered as the others watched Luther follow Allison.

"I'm guessing she found out about Luther's houseguest," Five said as Pogo left the room. "Apparently Luther got drunk when he found out about the moon mission---"

"Oh, yeah," Diego loudly piped up. "I saw how drunk he was when I walked in on him pinning Klaus against the wall by his throat!"

"Jesus!" Vanya looked at Klaus, horrified. 

"Well, then the next morning I found someone in bed with him, a girl he'd picked up at a club or something."

"Wow," Klaus laughed. "How much you wanna bet that was his first time?"

"Well, I'm out," Diego said abruptly as he stood up.

"Where are you going?" Klaus inquired. 

"Well, now that the target's dead, I'm going after Hazel and Cha-Cha." Diego patted Klaus on the shoulder as he passed by.

"You might want to rethink that," Five advised him.

"Oh? Why is that?"

Five pointed to a pair of handguns on the counter. "Hazel stopped by. Said he quit the Commission, left Cha-Cha and offered to help stop the apocalypse. I told them that we hit our mark, so I guess he ran off with the waitress from Griddy's. But Cha-Cha was the one who shot Detective Patch."

"But he was there that night," Diego argued.

"Now that we nabbed the target, the fighting needs to stop," Five said.

"Yeah, Diego." Klaus got up and walked over to him. "Remember? They would've killed you yesterday if I'd listened to you."

Five's eyes widened. "Klaus saved your life?"

Klaus batted his eyes at Five. "Yes, little old man!" Then he faced Diego more seriously. "Come on, man. Think of how you felt when you almost lost me. I don't want to lose someone else I love...in this case, as a brother, of course."

Diego looked at Klaus' pleading green eyes. Damn it, he could never say no to them. "Okay."

"I'm going to check on Allison," Vanya said as she left the room.


	10. Chapter 10

Vanya knocked on Allison's door.

"I said  _ go away, _ Luther!"

"Allison, it's me."

"Oh. Come in, then."

Vanya observed Allison sitting at her vanity holding in her hand the locket she used to wear when they were teenagers. "Are you okay?"

"No," Allison muttered. "I guess you're aware of what Luther did."

Vanya nodded sympathetically. "I'm sorry."

Allison placed the locket back in her jewelry box. "I should just throw that damn thing away."

"Luther gave you that?"

Allison nodded bitterly. "Yeah, when we were thirteen. We sneaked up to the attic to share a dance, but Dad caught us."

"Oh, shit."

"He didn't see anything inappropriate; just reminded us that fun and games were limited to Saturdays at noon."

Vanya sighed. "All this time, I was so jealous of you all. I had never thought about how difficult the training actually was."

"And I'm sorry that we left you out of so much. Like I said to Pogo the night we saw the surveillance footage, if anyone would have done that to Claire I would have been beside myself."

"Allison, can I ask," Vanya started out, "What happened with Claire?"

Allison sighed. "I used my power on her."

Vanya swallowed.

"Patrick caught me," Allison continued. "I stopped using my power after that, until…." Allison trailed off.

Vanya placed her hand on Allison's shoulder.

"You may have been angry with me the other day and probably regret it now," Allison said, "but you were also right when you said I've based my life on rumors."

"Allison---"

"No, it's the truth," Allison objected. "I mean, that's how I got all of my movie roles, and how I got Patrick to love me."

"Can I ask something else?"

"Sure."

"Is that how you got Luther to fall in love with you when we were thirteen?

Allison sighed and nodded sadly. "Yes, I did. But I can't tell him that now. After what he found out about Dad his emotional instability is through the roof. I was the only person he trusted."

Vanya nodded. "That's true."

However, then the bedroom door swung open, and there was Luther, standing, staring angrily at her. "You're right. You  _ were  _ the only person I trusted."

"Luther…." Allison looked at him with pleading eyes.

"I'm done with this family." With that Luther turned heel and stormed off.

Vanya felt horrible for them both. "I'm sorry, Allison."

Allison shook her head. "It's not anyone else's fault but mine."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Diego and Klaus watched Luther tear out the door, not long after Five had left with his mannequin.

" _ Now _ what's up with Number One?" Diego whined.

"No idea," Klaus said, "but we're done saving the world, so if he wants to get high again that's his business, I guess."

Allison and Vanya quickly joined the two brothers downstairs. 

"I should have just kept my big mouth shut," Vanya said guiltily.

"No, it's my fault," Allison sighed.

"You two wanna enlighten us as to what's going on with him now?" Klaus asked.

Allison took a deep breath before explaining her childhood mistake and Luther overhearing the discussion.

"Oh, shit," Diego muttered under his breath.

"Yeah. I really screwed up," Allison said sadly.

Just then Pogo came into the room. "Miss Vanya, I realize that you have only just learned about your power, but we should begin your training straight away."

Vanya nodded and turned to Diego. "I guess you need to train me since Luther's not around."

So Diego took her out to the courtyard. And she did a much better job with her power than in the woods with Leonard. Allison and Klaus sat and watched them.

They were just wrapping things up when Five ran out to them holding a newspaper. 

"Guys, this is it! The apocalypse is still on! The world ends today!"


	11. Chapter 11

"I thought you said this was over," Vanya said with dread.

"This is the newspaper I found the day I got stuck," Five held it up. "The headline hasn't changed."

"That doesn't mean anything," Diego argued. "The timeline could have been altered since that paper came out."

"No, would you  _ listen  _ to me?" Five shouted. "Harold Jenkins wasn't the actual target. The order to protect Harold Jenkins was because he was helping you build your powers," he turned to Vanya. "Not to cause an apocalypse, maybe, but for revenge against us. I mean,  _ how _ many people have you killed in the last forty-eight hours?"

"Jesus, way to be tactful, Five!" Diego exclaimed. 

"I didn't really think I had powers then!" Vanya cried. "Do you know how much it scares me to know I have this power? And how can you say these things to me?! You were my best friend growing up!"

"I know. I read your book in the apocalypse, remember?"

"And why do you have to bring that up?" Vanya had tears running down her face as rain began to fall. "Shit!"

"Let's go inside, you guys, Allison suggested.

"There's an example right there!" Five exclaimed. "You can even control the weather!"

"I know. It scares the shit out of me!" Vanya repeated. "Maybe Dad was right to lock me up."

" _ No! _ " Klaus yelled with determination. "That is  _ not _ a solution. Coming from someone who spent five years of his childhood being routinely locked up, it's a  _ horrible  _ idea!"

"Yeah, he's right," Diego said calmly. "You did great for your first time in training."

"I just…" Vanya shook her head and then threw up her hands. "I'm just going to go home." She ran out the door.

"Vanya…." Allison started after her. But Diego stopped her.

"Let me talk to her, okay?"

"I'm going with you," Klaus started to follow him out before turning back to glare at Five. "Mainly because I can't stand to be around you right now!" The two brothers left.

Five turned to Allison. "So, where the hell is Luther now?! Still having a pity party over Dad's lies?"

Allison sighed. "No. Now he knows that I betrayed him, too."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Vanya rushed down the street. She didn't know what to think or feel other than terrified. Guilt that she had temporarily killed her brother. Fear that she would hurt other innocent people just because she got angry.

"Vanya," Diego said quietly as he and Klaus quickly caught up to her. He placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Please," she continued walking, taking four steps to her brothers'. Each of them were nearly a foot taller. "I just want to go home."

Diego stepped in front of her as he put both hands on her shoulders. "Vanya, the Academy  _ is _ your home."

"He's right," Klaus stood next to Diego and also faced her. "Especially now that dear old Daddy kicked the bucket, we don't have to worry about his tormenting us. Well, unless he tries to talk to me again."

"Just don't die this time," Diego joked.

That got a chuckle out of Vanya. Then she looked seriously at Klaus. "I'm really sorry that I did that to you." She turned to Diego. "And I don't know if you can ever forgive me, but I'm sorry for writing that book. To both of you. I never knew the hell you truly went through."

"Vanya, I forgive you, okay?" Diego smiled. "Dad made us pin against each other. Luther, me, Allison, you. And I wasn't fair to you when you first came back. I called you a liability. I can't even begin to imagine how you're feeling about your powers, and about what that asshole Peabody did to you."

Vanya's lower lip trembled as tears welled up in her eyes. Diego took her in his arms and held her as she started to cry. Klaus quickly joined them. It was a couple of minutes before someone drove by and sneered, "Get a room!"

Klaus turned to face the dude. "Get a life, asshole!"

"Shut up, faggot!"

Diego grabbed a knife but Vanya stopped him. "You just got out of going to jail." She then focused on the car's engine. It quickly made a sputtering sound and smoke started coming out of the hood. "Okay, let's get outta here."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Half an hour later the five siblings crammed into the Rolls Royce in search of Luther, since they needed the full force of the Academy. Diego drove while Allison sat in the passenger seat while the other smaller (and in Klaus' case, thinner) siblings were scrunched together in the back. Klaus sat in the middle since Vanya was still pissed at Five, who had been adamant about going to find Luther as soon as Diego and crew returned. Diego had no idea whether Luther would be in any condition to help. Diego also wondered how the hell they would even fit him in the car. But they did need to discuss how they would help Vanya as they didn't know what the Commission might have up their sleeve. Five claimed to have killed his boss at the Commission; and even if he had, she would just be replaced. So they had needed to be prepared that the Commission might do something to send Vanya off the rails.

Diego checked out all of the raves he knew about since Allison had said he had met the girl there while extremely high. Finally at one the bouncer said he'd kicked out a big hairy guy two nights before.

They eventually found Luther at the Superstar bowling alley lounge drinking a beer. At least he wasn't hammered.

"Trimming a little hair of the dog, are we?" Klaus quipped.

"Leave me alone," Luther grumbled. 

"We have no time for this!" Five exclaimed. "The apocalypse is still on!"

"Good. Go save the world."

"Let me talk to him, guys," Diego said. He sat at the table across from Luther while the others waited in the alley. "Look, Dad was wrong to lie to you. To all of us---"

"Look, I did my time," Luther said bitterly. "Four years up there, watching and waiting. Four years of nothing but soy paste and processed air because I was naive enough to think that dads don't lie to their children. But I'm done with it. This family. You want to go save the world? Go right ahead. I'm fine to sit right here and get my buzz on."

Diego sighed. It took every ounce of strength not to rip Luther's head off. But within that moment he thought of how he had felt, trying to please his dad his whole childhood until finally, a few months shy of his eighteenth birthday, he "called the old man out," as Vanya had written, and turned his back on the Academy for good…until this past week. "Look, the person Dad was is not a reflection on us. It's not our fault how we were raised. We were kids under his authority. And everyone in the world loved us and him. Any other parent would have had CPS called."

"I don't care."

Diego was quickly losing his patience. "Look, I know that Dad messed us up. But we all have been put through a shit ton this week, especially Vanya. Allison said that Leonard could do no wrong in her eyes until we discovered the journal."

"Oh, really? Did she try to rumor Vanya, too?"

Diego cringed at that horrific but let that slide. "Dad  _ made _ Allison rumor Vanya when they were four. What kind of sick bastard does that? You should also read in his journal about locking Klaus in a mausoleum starting when we were eight, for five years. By the way, I found out where Klaus time-traveled, to the Vietnam War for ten months. He fell in love with a soldier, which was why he'd stayed there for so long. He only came back after the soldier died in his arms. And he's been clean for almost three days during this."

Diego studied Luther, who looked like he was finally starting to come around.

"Luther, we need all of the Academy. According to Five, Vanya's the one supposed to start the apocalypse. We had a training session earlier and she did okay, but we're afraid that the Commission might start something to make her unstable. We need to be on our guard. And Leonard really fucked her up. She needs a lot of time to heal. But we won't have that time if the world ends tonight."

Luther stared into his glass.

"We  _ all _ need to heal. Be a team again," Diego insisted. 

"Were we ever a team?" Luther mumbled. 

"Tonight we can be one."

"Okay, then." Luther got up without finishing his beer. They left the lounge and soon saw Klaus, Five and Vanya occupying a lane, bowling near a group of kids having a birthday party. " _ This _ is how we're going to save the world? By bowling?" Luther snapped.

"We were waiting too long and the manager said we needed to play or leave," Vanya told them.

"Where's Allison?" Luther wondered. 

"On the phone outside talking with Claire," Vanya said.

"I'm gonna go talk to her." With that, Luther left the building. 

Vanya got up to use the restroom. Not long after she did, a plump redheaded woman with a geeky kid that wore a gift bow on his chest approached the three remaining brothers. "Excuse me," the woman said to Five. "It's my son Kenny's birthday, and wouldn't your son feel better playing with kids his own age? As long as it's okay with your two dads." She nodded to Diego and Klaus.

_ You did not just say that. _ Diego stared blankly at the woman and via peripheral vision he could tell that Klaus was staring at him thinking the same. 

Five glared at her. "I would rather chew off my own foot!"

"Let's go, Kenny." The woman and her son turned heel and walked quickly away.

" _ If _ I were to date a man, you'd be the last man I'd date," Diego quipped at Klaus. 

"You'd be lucky to get me." Klaus got up and threw his pink bowling ball down the lane.

Moments later Diego heard the familiar "poof." He looked around. "Jesus, Five was all up our asses to go find Luther and now he leaves?!"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Luther waited outside the phone booth until Allison hung up. "Hi, she said awkwardly as she exited with a tear-stained face.

"Uh, hi," Luther said uncomfortably. "Did you talk to Claire?"

Allison nodded, smiling. "Yes, I did."

"I'm glad," Luther said.

"Luther, I'm sorry that I never told you the truth."

"And I'm sorry about the girl. Like I tried saying, I was at a rave, and I was ridiculously high. I had just found out that Dad sent me to the moon for nothing, and I felt so lost and alone. But it's not about me."

"I'm sorry I hurt you, Luther," Allison said. "And I can't imagine how you must have felt. I know how important it was for you."

"It's just going to take time."  _ And, Luther thought, hopefully we'll have that time. _

Luther and Allison walked back inside. 

"Where's Five?" Luther demanded. 

"He left," Diego said irritably.

"Oh, for the love of…." Luther snapped. 

"So, what do you propose we do?" Diego asked him.

"Well, uh, I guess we go back to the Academy and train Vanya more," Luther suggested.

"Can we at least finish this game first?" Vanya pleaded. "I'm actually having fun with you guys."

"Well, at least Five's not here to squawk about saving the world," Diego snarled. "I swear, if I had a dollar every time Five said 'We don't have time for this,' I'd never have to work again in my life."

"And if I had a drug for every time---" Klaus was interrupted by Diego smacking him on the back of his head. "Ow!"

"Don't even think about it," Diego said.

Unfortunately their fun was short-lived, as the next thing everyone knew, the doors opened and a group of heavily-armed men stormed in. All of the other patrons started running out of the building as the gunmen opened fire. " _ TAKE COVER! _ " Luther yelled as he and the siblings dropped to the floor.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Regarding Kenny's mom, did anyone else notice that the actress is in three other scenes? She is among the bank hostages in Episode One, on the bus sitting across Klaus in Episode Four, and at the rave after Klaus comes back to life...with some interesting BDSM gear, I should add. 😹 Will we see her in Season Two???


End file.
